Godey's Arm Chair: An Overview

Each month Godey would regale his readers with the latest updates on the
success of the Lady's Book, a description of the engravings,
quotes from letters he had received, comments on the fiction for the
month, as well as reminders about how to contact the editors and how to
subscribe; in short, anything and everything that he felt might be of
interest or amusement for his readers. These comments generally filled
five or six pages.

Certain paragraphs relating to the "administrivia" of the magazine became
standard. He would always praise the plates and engravings, calling each
month's effort the best yet and promising even better samples in the
future. He would always caution:

THOSE REMITTING MONEY.--Don't depend upon the adhesive matter on the
envelopes; always use a wafer in addition.

Godey was quite adamant about the registered letter. He warned his
readers often that the word "Registered" on the outside of a letter was
an open acknowledgement to thieves that money was enclosed. He suggested
they forego this method of sending mail. To ad validity to the warning
he would reprint stories from
newspapers around the country of Post Offices that had been burglarized
with registered letters being the only things stolen.

Warnings about postage also appear frequently, both a request to readers
to include postage for return letters if they expect answers, and a
warning that they ensure they are not being overcharged for postage on
the Book. Despite the 1852 regulations that allowed magazine publishers
to absorb the cost of mailing their volumes, Godey's subscribers paid
their own postage. In 1855 Godey announced that the Book weighed slightly
less than originally measured so that postage should only be 4 1/2
cents for three months. He recommended that "Subscribers will therefore
please resist any attempt made to extort more postage than the above
extract from the post-office laws call for." He had one caution for his
subscribers when dealing with the Post Office: "Having received several
complaints from our subscribers that they are not allowed the benefit of
prepayment quarterly, we give the following extract from the last
"Post-Office Book," page 6" "Quarterly payments in advance may be
made, either at the mailing office or the office of delivery." Signed
James Campbell, P.M.G." Godey recommended that any of these difficulties
would best be handled by sending a letter to that gentleman.

The sale of the Book also occupied a place in the Arm Chair section.
Godey encouraged his readers to "make up your clubs" according to the
terms published. Clubs were simply groups of people who, when
subscribing as a group, could receive a free issue. He reiterated that
clubs were so easy to start as the Lady's Book was so universally
enjoyed. Terms were printed on
the back of each issue and were:

One year, one copy. . .$3.00
Two copies, one year. . .5.00
Three copies, one year. . .7.50
Four copies, one year. . .10.00
Five copies, one year, and an extra copy to the persons getting up the
club,making six copies. . .14.00
Eight copies, one year, and an extra copy to the person getting up the
club, making nine copies. . .21.00
Eleven copies, one year, and an extra copy to the person getting up the
club, making twelve copies. . .27.50

Godey also offered to "club" the book with other magazines at a reduced
rate. For example, during much of this period a subscriber could order
the Book and Arthur's Home Magazine, which normally sold for $2.00
a year, at a combined price of $3.50 a year. These prices remained constant
throughout this
period with the brief exception of a short period during the war when the
price
went to $3.50 to help cover the exorbitant price of paper. (It should be
noted that Godey's was printed on rag paper, the main ingredient of which
was cotton.)

These clubs appear to have been quite
successful and Godey recounts
towards the end of each year how many club requests have been received to
date.

His praise was not reserved for the Book alone. As can be seen by the
club offering above he had a long-standing business relationship and
friendship with T.S. Arthur. He often included reviews praising Arthur's
magazine, reviews of his books
appear in the
"Literary Table" section, and Arthur frequently contributed stories to
the Book. Godey was as quick to condemn any magazine that he felt was not
"playing fair." He chides other magazines for printing stories from the
Book without due credit (a surprising attitude, perhaps, in one who spent
his early years in the industry as a "scissors editor") and
disingenuously wonders aloud why the editor of Harper's has
decided to name his editorial section the "Easy Chair." However, for the
most part his relationship with other editors appears to have been
amicable. Indeed, in the March 1856 issue he devotes nine pages to the
proceedings of a dinner given in his honor in November 1855 by a group of
friends and colleagues to celebrate the fiftieth volume of the Book. He
apologizes to the readers for "presuming too much upon their goodwill"
by printing the entire proceedings, but hopes that "we have received too
many good indicators of the cordial
regard of our readers, to doubt that what was so eminently gratifying to
us, will also be gratifying to them." If he received any letters that
would indicate otherwise he did not print them. He was also invited to be
the Treasurer of the newly formed Pennsylvania Editorial Union in
1858.

Godey was fond of reminding his readers that the Book was an essential
part of their lives, and readers responded in a like vein. He printed
many letters of anecdotes describing how the Book had saved or improved
marriages, made women's lives easier, helped with child rearing, and
saved the family money. One letter told the story of how, in an effort to
economize, a husband stopped the subscription to the Book. At the end of
the quarter his wife presented him with the bill for all the items that
she had had to purchase instead of make because she no longer had Godey's
wonderful receipts and patterns. Needless to say the gentleman quickly
re-subscribed. Godey reminded his readers of the Book's value by including
a paragraph like this:

"Remember the Lady's Book is not a mere luxury; it is a necessity. There
is no lady who takes the Book that does not save twice the price of it in
a year in the matter of domestic economy. Its receipts, its patterns, its
needle-work, its instructions in housekeeping are invaluable to the
housekeeper."

In every issue Godey gently reminded readers that Mrs. Hale was not the
Fashion Editor. In September 1858 his patience was apparently wearing a
little thin as indicated by his statement
that "Mrs Hale is not the fashion editor. How often will it be necessary
for us to repeat this? Address Fashion Editor, care of L.A. Godey."

However, he
was happy to point out that Mrs. Hale was deserving of the lavish praise
she received from her readers and encouraged subscribers to also buy her
books. These included recipe books ('5354 Receipts for the Home"), her
poetry collections and her other publications. He also had high praise
for the school run by her daughter and namesake and never failed, while
the school was in operation, to devote a large portion of one column to
it. Indeed, he later was able to more personally recommend the school
when his own daughter attended.

Godey, together with the Fashion Editor, made several offerings in every
issue that illustrate just how close a community the Book seemed to
foster. Included in almost every issue were offers of:

HAIR ORNAMENTS--Ladies wishing hair made into bracelets, pins (which are
very beautiful), necklaces or ear-rings, can be accommodated by our
Fashion Editor. A very large number of orders have recently been filled,
and the articles have given great satisfaction.
We give the prices at which we will send these beautiful articles:
Breastpins, from $4 to $12
Ear-rings, from $4 50 to $10

etc.

In addition to hair jewelry, the Fashion Editor offered to procure infant
layettes, and accept commissions to research and purchase "bonnets,
material for dresses, jewelry, envelops, worsteds, children's wardrobes,
mantillas, and mantelets" to be chosen "with a view to economy as well as
taste." Godey even offered to select and arrange for the shipment of
pianos! These offers were accepted by many, and each month a shorthand
list of commissions received and fulfilled was supplied. For example, the
September 1858 issue contained 71 of these notices, a few of which are
presented here:

"Mrs. J.A.H." --Sent patterns June 17th.
"Mrs. K.L.C."--Sent infant's wardrobe by Wells & Fargo express 17th.
"G.A.T."--Sent Douglas & Sherwood's Skirt by Adam's express 22nd [Note:
the skirt referred to is one of a number of hoop and hoop/petticoat
combinations designed by Mssrs. D & S and highlighted in the "Work
Department" or fashion section of the Book. They were evidently popular
as twenty-one of them were sent that month.]
"D.R."--sent hair fob chain 16th.
"Clara Augusta"--It will cost $10 as it has to be imported.

The range of subjects Godey covered from the Arm Chair must have
contained something for every subscriber. From poetry to travelogues of
railway excursions, from recipes to hair dye recommendations, and from
satirical comments about people who talk during the opera to quotes on
things to consider when raising a child, Godey provided a wide-ranging
look at his fellow citizens and their daily concerns.